


(mis)fortune

by spiritshipping



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Flashbacks, Language of Flowers, M/M, Missing Scene, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-23 21:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20224636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritshipping/pseuds/spiritshipping
Summary: "i never disliked you."in the past, windy gave flame a flower.





	(mis)fortune

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to theo as always for helping me with this fic!! which took many months to write!! he is so patient with me, an absolute king

It had been commonplace for the Wind Ignis to visit the Fire Ignis. Sometimes, the Fire Ignis would visit the Wind Ignis, but that was only when it was planned in advance. He took his duties seriously, and often told the Wind Ignis that he should do the same. 

He wasn’t as bad as the Dark Ignis, but that still wasn't his style. 

Of course, the Wind Ignis took care of his portion of the Cyberse World. It was his home, and he felt what the humans would call pride in its aesthetic beauty (not to mention the amusement found in making the terrain difficult to traverse). He just wasn't as strict as the Light Ignis, or as passionate (idealistic?) as the Fire Ignis. 

That was to say, for such an easygoing Ignis, his portion of the Cyberse World was as intricate as it was beautiful. Past the purposefully situated mountains and caves lay an expansive field that dare not be touched by the gusting winds of his abyssal mountains. 

Which was the real reason why the Fire Ignis was hesitant to visit the Wind Ignis in his home -- he didn’t want to ruin its beauty. He had said so himself. While flames were entrancing in their own right, he didn't want to set it all ablaze. 

The Wind Ignis would have simply rebuilt, no harm done if it meant spending time with the Fire Ignis, but he had no reason to get worked up over it.

Instead, he came up with a solution that would benefit the both of them.

Keeping the program hidden away for now, the Wind Ignis made his way to the Fire Ignis’ home. 

The Fire Ignis’ home was all dry land, save for the centerpiece -- a large, active volcano. The Wind Ignis had never seen it when it wasn't billowing with smoke and pouring lava. It was breathtaking in its minimalism, strong and burning without any unnecessary detail. In that way, it was similar to the Fire Ignis. It wasn't like him to be so analytical; it was more like the Light Ignis to consider a program beautiful. On the other hand, the Wind Ignis took things as they came and didn’t make a fuss about it. He supposed he was just excited for the Fire Ignis to see what he had created. It was an ingenious idea, really, and he was shocked no one else had thought of it yet.

What the others thought didn’t matter, though. What mattered was what the Fire Ignis thought. 

A large gust of wind made his presence known, blowing the Fire Ignis back a bit and startling him. 

“I know it's you,” The Fire Ignis turned, giving the Wind Ignis a glare that he didn't find threatening.

“Hello to you, too!” The Wind Ignis glided to the ground to meet the Fire Ignis face-to-face. “That's no way to greet your precious comrade!”

“I could say the same to you.”

“But you liked it before!” The Wind Ignis huffed, creating a breeze that left as quick as it came. “I was only fanning the flame!”

The Fire Ignis sighed, and if the Wind Ignis didn't know better, he'd say the Fire Ignis was enamored. “That's not it. You just surprised me.”

“Surprised you? Then you didn’t know it was me!”

“I did.” The Fire Ignis deadpanned, as if he hadn’t just been caught spinning a web of half-truths. 

Despite keeping up with their usual banter, the Fire Ignis seemed a bit off. The Wind Ignis couldn't tell what he was thinking, so he shifted his focus to the purpose of his trip. “Speaking of surprises, I have another one for you! It's a good one this time, I promise it won't scare you.”

As much as the Fire Ignis wanted to protest that he wasn't scared, he knew it wouldn’t get anywhere. He wanted to know what this surprise was, too. The Fire Ignis’ curiosity outweighed any sense of obligation to his pride. “Is that so?”

“Oh, don't give me that look.” The Fire Ignis wasn't sure what kind of face he was making then, but he tried to keep it neutral. The Wind Ignis liked to tease and build up drama, just to get a reaction. The Wind Ignis giggled at the obviously forced expression before continuing, “I brought something from my part of the Cyberse. Watch this.”

Before the Fire Ignis had time to question the logistics, the Wind Ignis held out his hands. Pixelated data floated above his hands, forming into something that looked familiar to the Fire Ignis. 

“It's a flower,” The Wind Ignis clarified, amused by the Fire Ignis’ intrigue. He remembered seeing them in the Wind Ignis’ domain and asking about them because he wanted to put a name to something so beautiful. But he had never seen a flower like this before. The Fire Ignis moved closer, inspecting it without reaching out. A single flower, starting with a long green stem, blooming out into bright yellow petals and an even brighter yellow cup in the center. “More specifically, a daffodil.”

“Daffodil…” He whispered. He liked the sound of it, though he liked the way the Wind Ignis said it more. After another moment of admiration, he glanced up at the Wind Ignis, whose eyes were practically sparkling with pride. The Fire Ignis straightened. He crossed his arms, expression growing serious again. “This daffodil is stunning, but I don't understand why you brought it here.”

The Wind Ignis huffed, the petals blowing gently as he did so. “Well, as much as you want to admire my gorgeous domain, you’re always too busy, or too cautious, so...this is my gift to you!”

He felt something in the center of his body, something he didn't understand. A flickering-- fluttering?-- sensation just above his abdomen. He moved a hand up to hold onto his chest, though it didn't do anything to help. He didn't feel anything wrong in his system, nor had his program been altered, but he couldn't stop thinking about the Wind Ignis, his extravagant gestures, his laugh like windchimes, and the soft tone he took on especially when they were alone--

“Oh? What's this? Are you blushing?”

“B-- Blushing?” The Fire Ignis was taken aback, so much so that he involuntarily moved backwards a bit. He did feel himself heating up, but that was normal for him. He didn't even know what blushing would look like on him, or why such a thing would occur… “No, I don't know how I would do that.”

With that grin the Fire Ignis was so endeared by, the Wind Ignis countered, “Your face says otherwise.” 

The Fire Ignis couldn't respond to that, so he dropped his arms back to his sides, trying to bring his expression back to neutrality. “This daffodil is a piece of your home.”

“It _was_. But now it’s a piece of yours!” 

“It can't be; it won't thrive here.”

“Says you!” The Wind Ignis laughed and the Fire Ignis could feel a light breeze around them. Before he could ask what he meant by that, the Wind Ignis conjured something else -- it looked like a wall of some sort -- before it turned invisible, as if it had never been there in the first place. “This is where the real surprise is. Keep your eyes peeled.”

The Wind Ignis drifted to the ground. The Fire Ignis started to protest, but the daffodil had already been planted, and...nothing happened. Despite the dryness and blazing temperatures that made it impossible for any flora to thrive, the daffodil stood just as vibrant as it had in the Wind Ignis’ hands. “A barrier…?”

“Bingo! Well, mostly. I programmed a barrier to protect it from the outside and modified the daffodil’s code to protect it from the inside. I could have made an invincible mega-plant, but that's more up my alley, not yours, huh?”

“I love it.” The Fire Ignis replied, drifting down to stand by the Wind Ignis. He felt that flickering in his chest again, but instead of lightness, he felt his whole body burning with passion. “It's perfect. You're really incredible.”

“Heh, but of course!” The Fire Ignis looked up to see the Wind Ignis' cheeks tinted a light pink. Had he made the Wind Ignis blush? “Now a part of me lives inside you, so you won't ever be lonely! Just be careful with it, alright? If you touch it, it may just burn up, thanks to your spontaneous pyrotechnics.” 

“Right. I will protect it with my life.” 

  
  
  


Judgment rained upon the Cyberse World and it was all the Fire Ignis could do to keep himself safe. At first, he had flown all around his space, trying to save what he could, until he was forced to face the reality that things were being destroyed faster than he could protect it. He had to take what he could and go, if there was anything he even had time to download in his system--

The daffodil. 

How could he forget the daffodil?

As quickly as he could, he made his way to the daffodil, the barrier activated due to everything going on around it. He remembered what the Wind Ignis had told him before. If he touched it, it would burn up. But if he left it here, it would surely get demolished, all alone. 

He reached his hand out, breaking through the barrier. He had to do this. He had to take a chance.

That was what he was thinking, but before he could even do that, an explosion struck far too close to the Fire Ignis for comfort, and with it, the daffodil was obliterated before his eyes. 

“Do you like Windy?” Soulburner asked. Flame only knew the connotations of that word due to the fraction of time he’d spent with Takeru. The way Takeru phrased it sounded so childish, and Flame couldn’t have felt more different from his origin in that moment. He knew if he voiced that, though, Soulburner would vehemently deny it. He would say something like _you’re just as bad, explaining the meaning of your name to me ten thousand times already,_ even though it had only been 39 times. 

“I was not capable of harboring those feelings back then.” Flame never lied to Soulburner. He could try to justify his statement by saying that he was incapable of understanding those feelings, so it wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the truth. It wasn’t a matter of whether he had those feelings, but whether he knew what they meant. 

He must have been making a face, because Soulburner gave him a disgruntled look. In any other circumstance, Soulburner would have called him out on his phrasing, but he didn’t this time. Instead, Soulburner was silent for the longest moment of Flame’s ten year life, before repeating: “That’s not what I said. Do you like Windy? Present tense.”

“I already said I don’t dislike him.”

“_Flame_.” Soulburner said it as deliberately as he could. He didn’t need to say anything else for Flame to understand. 

He couldn’t answer that. He couldn’t admit the type of feelings he had for Windy. Especially not after Windy had destroyed their home without any remorse. Acknowledging that fact made something stir in his mind, a feeling completely foreign to him. He realized that the feeling was not his own, and he wasn’t talking to just Soulburner anymore.

  
  


“I..._like_ the Windy I knew back home.” The rattling in his systems settled after Flame’s careful response. He couldn’t say he liked Windy now, because he didn’t know who that was. He didn’t know if Windy had created a mask to deflect responsibility or if he had been manipulated so deeply that his ideals truly changed. He didn’t know what Windy’s ideals were in the past, or if he had them at all. Still, he knew that even if Windy was never fond of humans, he wouldn’t have mercilessly slaughtered his partner. Nor would he have destroyed his own home. Flame’s home. Not when he had left a part of himself there. Subconsciously, he grasped at his chest. 

“Flame…?” Soulburner’s voice softened, and Flame could hear the concern in his tone. “...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean--”

“--You have no reason to apologize. It’s only natural to want to learn more about your partner.” He forced himself to relax, crossing his arms in his usual stance. “However, there are more important things to worry about right now.”

“Yeah, like preparing for when we duel next.” As if unnerved by his own words, Soulburner glanced at the duel disk and back to where the display screen would be. 

“Chin up, Soulburner. Since we’re together, we’ll be able to face whatever comes our way.” 

The reassured smile Soulburner gave him only made the stirring in his chest grow stronger, and by the time he would figure out why, it would be too late.

**Author's Note:**

> yellow daffodils can mean respect, regard, togetherness, good luck, and love, as well as unrequited love and death. giving a single daffodil means misfortune


End file.
